Dear Parents,
Thank you for making this Confirmation preparation experience a priority for your teen. Statistics tell us that parents are the number one influencer in the faith life of a teenager. Even though it may not often feel like it, your influence does make a difference.
In this first session, we discussed what it means to follow Jesus, to be a disciple. Here are some of the main points:
- When Jesus called his Disciples, he flipped the traditional system on its head. He didn’t call the religious elite; he called regular people.
- Jesus’ disciples weren’t perfectly holy before he called them. And we don’t have to be either. It is in following him that we become more like him.
- Discipleship is a process, not a program. It is the process of following Jesus and becoming more like him.
- It is also the process of becoming more yourself. St Catherine of Siena said, “Become who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”
FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS FOR PARENTS:
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ASK: What are you most excited about with this group? What are you most hesitant about?
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SHARE: How would you describe your relationship with Jesus right now? If it's not as close as you would like, what is holding you back?
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DISCUSS: I heard that the way that Jesus chose his Disciples was very different that they way it had been done historically. Can you explain that to me? What does that mean to you?
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PRAY: Read through the theme scripture from tonight (below), slowly, listening for what God is saying to you through the passage. Perhaps use the lectio divina method to guide you: https://tinyurl.com/LectioDivinaStepByStep
TONIGHT'S THEME SCRIPTURE: LEAVE YOUR NETS & FOLLOW HIM
“As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22)
